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Shloka 50

कालयामास तत्‌ सैन्यं यथा पशुगणान्‌ वृकः । जैसे वनमें कुपित हुआ सिंह मृगसमूहोंको खदेड़ता रहता है, उसी प्रकार शत्रुपक्षके पांचाल महारथियोंको भगाता हुआ महायशस्वी कर्ण समरांगणमें समस्त योद्धाओंको त्रास देने लगा। जैसे भेड़िया पशुसमूहोंको भयभीत करके भगा देता है, उसी प्रकार कर्णने पाण्डवसेनाको खदेड़ दिया ।। दृष्टवा तु पाण्डवीं सेनां धार्तराष्ट्रा: पराड्मुखीम्‌

sañjaya uvāca | kālayāmāsa tat sainyaṃ yathā paśugaṇān vṛkaḥ |

Санджая сказал: как волк, ввергающий стадо зверей в панику, так Карна терзал то войско. И как разъярённый лев в лесу без устали разгоняет стаи оленей, так и прославленный Карна, обращая в бегство великих колесничих Панчалы со стороны врага, начал наводить ужас на всех бойцов на поле брани и погнал рать Пандавов в отступление — образ беспощадного напора войны, где доблесть сокрушает порядок, а страх распространяется быстрее, чем совет.

कालयामासharassed / drove into distress
कालयामास:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootकालय् (धातु; causative of काल/कल् in sense 'to drive/harass')
FormPerfect (लिट्), 3rd, singular, Parasmaipada
तत्that
तत्:
Karma
TypePronoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formneuter, accusative, singular
सैन्यम्army
सैन्यम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootसैन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formneuter, accusative, singular
यथाas / just as
यथा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयथा
पशु-गणान्herds of animals
पशु-गणान्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootपशु (प्रातिपदिक) + गण (प्रातिपदिक)
Formmasculine, accusative, plural
वृकःwolf
वृकः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootवृक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formmasculine, nominative, singular

संजय उवाच

S
Sanjaya
K
Karna
P
Pandava army (Pāṇḍavī senā)
P
Panchalas (Pāñcāla)
B
battlefield (samara/aṅgaṇa implied by context)
W
wolf (vṛka)
L
lion (siṃha, in the accompanying narrative gloss)
D
deer (mṛga, in the accompanying narrative gloss)

Educational Q&A

The verse highlights how, in war, collective morale can collapse when a single powerful warrior relentlessly pursues; it implicitly warns that strength without restraint spreads fear and disorder, showing the ethical cost of violence even when it is framed as heroic prowess.

Sanjaya describes Karna’s onslaught: he chases and routs the opposing forces—especially the Panchala great chariot-warriors—so thoroughly that the Pandava host is driven back in panic, compared to animals scattered by a wolf (and, in the extended simile, deer scattered by a lion).